Confinement

Confinement is a period of post-natal recovery for mothers just given birth. Different people will have different culture or restriction based on the traditions passed down from their ancestors.
My mum in-law & my own mum helped me during my confinement, so I do not have to hire a confinement lady. I really appreciate their help, as it is not cheap to hire a confinement lady nowadays and there are a lot of urban legends regarding wicked confinement ladies out there.

There are a number of restrictions that must be followed during confinement that last for 30 days. I am not supposed to go out, and not going downstairs as well.

Food:
1. No cold food. Eat while the food is still hot, and cannot eat food that is considered cold eg. cucumber, pineapple etc.
2. All dishes must be cooked with ginger or wine only eg. ginger pork, kachangma chicken, pig kidney mee-sua with ginger, pig stomach with wine.
3. No vege for the first 12 days. After the 12 days, can start to eat kailan, long bean, french bean and tomato all cooked with ginger and wine. Grapes can be eaten during the later days of confinement.
4. No plain water. The only drink allowed is the drink with longan, red dates and gou qi (wolfberry).

Bath:
1. Cannot wash hair for the whole month. I cannot believe I was able to endure this, but I did it.
2. No bath allowed for the first 12 days. Only allowed to wipe the body with hot water plus white wine on the 12th day.
3. After the 12th day, bath is allowed with hot water boiled with a kind of herb (Asiatic Wormwood). I only bathed 3 times during confinement.

Clothe:
1. Wear slippers, socks and cap to prevent the wind from getting into our body.
2. Change clothes frequently when wet to prevent from getting a cold.

Besides following the Chinese pantang, sandbox hired a Malay Urut Lady for me. Everyday I will wear the bengkung for 4 hours for the whole month.

My confinement ended on 5th July. On that day, I was allowed to wash my hair and go out from the house.